This beautiful sandstone building was built in White Sulfur Springs, MT in 1892 for Byron Rogers Sherman, a successful local rancher and businessman.
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Sherman was described as a man whose “wide-spread involvement in the economic development of this region marks him as one of those energetic men dedicated to the idea of progress who brought civilization to the western frontier”.
The stonemason was Ole Opshall, a man who clearly had been well trained in stone masonry. Sherman was lucky to find him.
Sherman was also fortunate to have access to such a nice sandstone, which was quarried 12 miles distant on the southwest flank of the Castle Mountains and blocks were hauled to the site by 16-ox team.
The sandstone is a beautiful, even-grained stone that has stood up to the elements without degradation for 130 years.
The even-grained nature of the sandstone made it perfect for the detailed carving work of stonemason Ole Opshall.
No saws, no power tools, no carbide, just steel chisels, star drills and wedges, and perhaps the best sandstone I have seen in Montana for this type of work.
